Your bridal bouquet is a once in a lifetime accessory. When else do you get to carry a beautiful bunch of flowers designed specially for you, all day long?! Whole weddings can be planned around that very special ‘bunch of flowers’.
Picking the flowers for your bouquet is not that simple though; there are lots of questions to consider: what flowers should you include in your bouquet? What colours/shapes work best with your dress? How big should your bouquet be? And how on Earth are you supposed to hold your bouquet?!
To help answer those questions, we did some digging, so you dont have to! Here are tips on choosing and making the most of your bridal bouquet.
Try to choose your wedding dress before your flowers
When you meet your florist for a consultation, remember to bring a picture of your dress. The design of your bouquet is completely dependent on the style, shape and detail of your dress. The key to bouquet design is that it doesn’t drown you or hide the silhouette of your dress.
Consider the shape and size of your bouquet carefully
Do not opt for a trailing bouquet if the feature detail of your dress is on the skirt, but if you have a long train or bustle at the back of your dress you might want to balance the look with a more dramatic bouquet. Do not hide your waist as this is likely to be your narrowest part, so make sure the bouquet is much narrower than your waist.
Whilst bouquet trends change over time, the most important thing is that it works with your dress but doesn’t drown you or hide the beautiful details.
Find out what flowers are in season on your wedding day
Some flowers just aren’t available at certain times of the year (or are very expensive) so make sure you take this into consideration when choosing which flowers to incorporate into your bouquet.
Consider the exact colour of your wedding dress
Colour is key, especially with whites, ivories and creams. There are so many different shades, your florists can recommend the right type of bloom to work well with the exact colour of your dress, and to compliment your bridesmaid’s dresses. Remember to take swatches if you have them.
If you are having your dress made or altered, ask the dressmaker if you can have any spare material that your florist can use to wrap around the stems of your bouquet, you then have the perfect match.
Make it personal
Try to incorporate flowers that might have a personal meaning to either you or another family member. If you have a family heirloom such as an antique brooch, ask your florist to add it into the top of the stems.
How to hold your bouquet
When you are nervous before your wedding and hold your bouquet for the first time, most brides tend to hold their bouquet with two hands and carry it quite high which immediately lifts the shoulders up. This tends not to make a great picture, particularly if you are wearing a strapless dress.
If you can remember, (get your bridesmaid to remind you) hold your bouquet in one hand and below your hip, slightly away from your dress, so that you can see the silhouette of your dress. This will relax and open your shoulders, improving your posture and creating the best pose for your photographer when its time for photos!
Choose a comfortable bouquet (you will be holding it all day, after all!)
Also remember that your bouquet needs to be really comfortable to hold so don’t opt for anything that is going to be awkward to carry and make you hunch your shoulders or stand lop sided.
Make it picture perfect
Pictures of your bouquet are lovely to have so make sure you ask your photographer to do some close ups. Bouquets photograph particularly well in baths, propped up on pretty chairs, or even beside your wedding cake!
Keep your bouquet looking fresh into the evening
If you have a hand tied bouquet, you are likely to be able to refresh it at the end of the day by cutting an inch of the stems and popping it into water. Perhaps a job for your mum or friend.
Don’t be afraid to be wild
Bouquets are really about personality, so if you feel like including bright orange bird of paradise in your wedding bouquet, go right ahead! Don’t go with flowers that are “wedding-y” if you dont want to! Think outside of the box!
Enjoy your beautiful bouquet and remember you don’t have to toss it, you could always preserve it!
Sure, tossing is fun, but don’t forget you could also preserve that special bunch of flowers. Dry them out or have them framed!
